Elena's Return
by softball5
Summary: After finale,but instead,everyone assumed her to be dead.She wakes up to find no one will believe her so she turns to only option:she's going to pretend to be Katherine.But what if one brother brings out her feelings and she can no longer keep up the act?
1. Chapter 1

**What if she was never taken to the hospital? What if Meredith was never able to tell them she helped her? What if she was just assumed dead? What if she now occupied the spot next to her parents? What if Elena Gilbert woke up with a thirst she couldn't control in a coffin she couldn't escape?**

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I took a gulp of air as if taking a breath for the first time. I glanced around me suddenly feeling claustrophobic as I took in my surroundings, which happened to be not so much. My head was laying on a pillow and I was in a dress I remember being my favorite, but I don't remember putting it on, the walls were small and the ceiling a couple of inches above my face, my hair was curled and hands folded over my chest, and my breath started to become heavy as the realization hit me; I was in a coffin.

Was this supposed to be some kind of joke, because it so wasn't funny. Who did this to me? It was probably Klaus or something. Wait until Caroline and Damon and everyone hear about this. Elena Gilbert, buried alive. They won't find it a bit funny.

But all these thoughts suddenly disappeared and were replaced with one feeling; hunger. Desperate hunger. How long had I been in this thing, because it felt like I hadn't eaten in months, no, years. My gums began to hurt and I knew I needed out, now.

I don't know how I did it. If anyone asks me later how I got out, I won't know what to tell them, because I can't even begin to understand it myself. I've never known my hunger to drive me to incredible strength, never wanted something so bad, but I busted out of the coffin only to find myself buried in the dirt and as I frantically tried to climb out I began to slow down and breathing heavily, facing the fact I wasn't going to make it out, stopped breathing, and thought, wow imagine what Klaus or whoever did this figures out how funny his joke is when he realizes it killed me, but then the next weird thing happened; I was okay.

I stopped breathing, and I was okay.

I didn't have to breathe. Since when was it "normal" for a human not to have to breathe? I needed out and I needed out now. I was digging my way out telling myself over and over again, it was going to be okay, I'm just hallucinating, I never stopped breathing, I'm fine, this is a joke and we're going to get back at whoever did it and laugh at this someday. But after I found my way out of the dirt, a little too quickly I might add, and found myself sitting on top of the grass, face to face with my parents grave stone.

And I broke down. I needed Damon, I needed Stefan, I needed to feel okay. And I found myself so determined to find them and my friends and my brother that I no longer felt hungry. I was back to the old me, the stubborn Elena who gets her mind stuck on something and won't stop until she gets it, and I wasn't about to let some stupid hunger get in my way, I'll get a cheeseburger later.

I ran to the boarding house because it was the first place that popped into my mind. As I approached the house I decided to get a glance of things without me for who knows how long this joke lasted, a few hours maybe. But I found nothing of what I expected as I looked through the window.

Stefan and Damon were arguing while throwing things at each other screaming…wait, they were arguing? How-h-how could I hear them? I ignored this fact along with everything else happening today reminding myself, I'm just hallucinating. So I watched them using their vampire speed to throw each other against the wall and I was about to step in until I heard two words that made me stop mid step

_"Elena's dead."_

No. No, no no, no, no! What was happeni- then it all came back. _Rebekah in the road. The bridge. Underwater. Stefan helping. Matt rescued. Me Dying. _How- then Meredith's words came back to me as I remembered being back in the hopital after passing out while painting the room in my house about to fall asleep from the anesthesia, "I'm going to help you." She whispered as I went unconscious.

I then saw my hunger, my speed, my ability to stop breathing, my gums hurting, and my death for what it really was; my transition.

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**Sooooo, what do you think? I know it may not seem like it, but I promise this is a Delena story! It will just take some time to get far enough into the story for that to take place:) **

**I have a lot planned for this story and I'm actually really excited. I have the next couple of chapters already written and will upload them soon or maybe edit them a bit if I hear some suggestions! If you like it or if not or if you have any ideas please review and tell me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is chapter 2, hope you like it and I plan on uploading a new chapter every day or every couple of days and I'm planning on it being about 6-8 chapters and please R/R!**

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I heard them continue arguing and Damon's words repeated over and over again;

"it's all your fault!"

"You should've saved her!"

"Since when does it matter what she wants?"

"She won't ever hate you because you give her everything she wants, so congratulations Stefan! She liked you, she liked you all the way to her grave!"

After they backed away I saw them go their separate ways into their own rooms, and saw that I truly was the reason the Salvatore brothers broke apart. But Klaus was wrong, he thought my death would allow them to be brothers again, that they would be okay, but either way: me being dead or alive unless they could unmeet me, nothing, not even my death, would make their relationship okay.

They went into their own rooms and I peeked through their windows and found them pulling down suitcases from their closet; they were packing up, but not just for a vacation or a trip, they were packing up for good. I was the only reason they were still in Mystic Falls and now, they had no reason to be here and I saw the two strongest men I knew, cry. A tear silently fell down their faces, unable to hide their emotion. Their vulnerability exposed right there in front of me.

I was going to step in.

I was going to tell them look, here I am!

Stop fighting, stop packing, it's me! It's Elena, I'm okay!

But then I realized-they wouldn't believe me. I wouldn't convince them, because the only thing my presence would do is make them believe Katherine is back. They wouldn't believe I was Elena becau- wait. Katherine. That's it! That's the answer. They would think I was Katherine. Not only am I an exact copy of her on the outside and in love with both brothers, I'm now her on the inside as well, or, I will be because I now know what I have to do. I have to go through with it. I have to go through the transformation.

I have to become a vampire. I have to become Katherine.

I know I can pull it off. I can pull off the attitude. I can do seductive, I can do the 'I don't care' attitude, and I can definitely do the loving both brothers. I perfected that a long time ago. The only thing I'm not so sure about, is pulling off the vampire part, but I know enough about it I might be able to do this on my own.

And I know the first step for sure, I have to drink someone's blood. I could feel my fangs pushing through my gums at the thought of blood and felt the extreme tiredness and the way I dragged my body, I wasn't tired, I was dying. And I would die if I didn't complete the transformation soon.

I didn't want to, I didn't want THIS, I didn't want to be a vampire, I never wanted this for my life, but we do crazy things for the ones we love, and this was one of them. I concentrated on my love for not only Damon and Stefan but also for my friends and for my brother and everyone that sacrificed things for me and that loved me, and how much I couldn't stand to let the brothers leave town, because it wouldn't be the same without them, and although some think that would be a good thing, I don't and I was Elena, the stubborn one, and I wasn't about to let them leave.

I did it. I found someone, someone far enough out of town that I didn't know them and I wouldn't regret it as badly, and tried to not think about it, and go on my instinct. I thought of Stefan, of the ripper, of everything bad I could become, so that when I took enough, I could make myself stop. And I did.

I knew I needed to compel the guy so he wouldn't remember what happened, but I had no idea how. I remembered back when I heard Damon say something when I asked how compelling worked, and he said something like, "it's quite simple, you just want them to think something, so you think about how much you want it, and you say it out loud while looking them straight in the eye, it's quite simple actually."

So I thought about it, and focused on what I wanted him to think, and I said commandingly out loud, "You won't remember what happened, you won't remember me, you went on a walk and you got lost. Now go home." And he repeated after me and although I felt bad about this, I couldn't help but let a smile creep on my face as I realized I could do this myself, I could teach myself to become a vampire.

And everyone was right when they told me that I FEEL, I feel so much that it consumes me, so through my love and emotions I'm able to teach myself control too.

I let his body drop to the ground as I began to walk away I made sure to put some hop in my step, some confidence in my posture, and a smile on my face because I couldn't dwell on the fact I just became a vampire and hold a pity party for myself, I had something else I had to do.

And not only that, but I also went and bought a dress and some heels that I found to fit the slutty standard I had to live up to, practiced my seductive sounding voice a couple of times, and tried to put all my emotions on hold and just kept the list going of things I could cry and write about in my diary later, because I wasn't just becoming a confident person hiding my emotions, I was becoming Katherine and I had to pull it off well because to keep the brothers in Mystic Falls until I find a way to convince them of who I really am, I have to stir up some trouble.

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**Sooooooo, what do you think? Please review and tell me what you thought of it, thanks:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**"Katherine's" back! Please R/R thanks:)**

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I found myself at the boarding house extremely fast and wondered how vampires didn't appreciate their speed more, because it was such a rush. And the thing was, I suddenly realized, I was here to stir up trouble, and although Katherine is some trouble herself, her being her simply isn't enough to keep them here in Mystic Falls. I realized, I had no trouble to present to them. But then as if on cue, my prayers were answered. I was suddenly distracted by something in my dress pocket vibrating; my phone, Elena's phone. It had somehow survived through being underwater when I had died. I had to get rid of this, I can't be walking around with this phone. And I was about to throw it into the woods when I glanced at the screen and pulled it up to my face to read a text message I had gotten from Caroline before I had died:

"_Oh god, Elena come to my house, I need you here now, it's Tyler he's gone but something, well, someone is alive inside him, Elena, Klaus isn't dead, he's alive as ever. He's alive inside Tyler."_

I had what I needed. I had a reason. I had a reason for them to stay at least for awhile. Elena may be gone but they would try and protect her friends at least for awhile in honor of her.

Klaus is alive. I smiled although it was the worst news I could ever receive, right now, it was what I needed. I pushed everything devastating aside, everything 'Elena' aside, as I confidently walked up to the door and was about to ring the doorbell when I remembered who I am, I'm Katherine, I don't knock, I don't wait to be invited, I invite myself.

So next thing I knew I was pushing the door open and walking into the house. Although I was shaking, I tried to calm myself as I strolled casually into their house and called out in my best Katherine voice, "Hello boys!"

Both of their jaws dropped open and shock was shown on their faces but only for a second until realization hit them: I was JUST Katherine. I guess I underestimated Katherine's strength, she's somehow able to keep up this act that she doesn't care and it's got to be hard seeing how much they love me more than her.

"Go away Katherine." Stefan spoke first with a bored tone. I smiled out of accomplishment of pulling off the Katherine act but I realized it must not be too tough, considering Elena's 'dead' I'm pretty sure they would be convinced I was Katherine even if I acted like Elena. I had to go all out with this, I had to be mean, there's no going back now.

"Nah, I think I might stay awhile actually. Where's your precious Elena?" I said with a forced smile, I hated doing this to them. Their eyes shot up from what they were doing and Damon dropped his glass of Bourbon as I saw him blur toward me and push me up against the wall.

"KATHERINE LEAVE, NOW." His voice dropped with hatred, but I continued.

"What, is your poor Elena finally gone? Is she no longer here for you two to take turns worshiping at her alter?" I smirked and hands were once again shoved at my throat and I was pushed harder against the wall then suddenly flung across the room, and I thought, maybe it was time to try out some of my abilities just in case they had any doubt that I was Katherine, which I doubt they do, but I really wanted to try out my speed and strength, so next thing I knew I had ran across the room in a blur and shoved Damon up against the wall surprising myself more than him.

"Now is not a good time for your games, Katherine," He said angrily as he turned and I was the one now against the wall, "out, NOW."

"Ok, ok. Pushy. I just thought you all would like to know what danger you're leaving all the people of this town, all of Elena's friends, to deal with." I said slyly as I prepared to slide out the door when suddenly Damon appeared in front of me blocking the door and I almost flinched but I had to stop myself, I had to get used to this stuff.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

"Oh, so now that it's about Elena, you're concerned. Of course, I'm just a messenger. All people want me for is information. All these years and-" I was cut off by Stefan chiming in.

"Cut the crap Katherine, we all know we hate you, let's move past that fact and look at the other obvious facts. You have information we want, we have something you want or you obviously wouldn't be here." He stated.

"Fine," I said walking around purposefully clanking my heels against the floor making them wait, just like she would do, then turning to face the both of them, "I was homesick, I kind of missed bugging the both of you by simply existing in your lives, so I came back, and I need a place to stay. You give me that, I give you information."

They gave each other a sideways glance and shrugged their shoulders.

"Fine," Damon answered, "but stay out of our way and don't bring up anything, ANYTHING about…her." His face looked to the floor and I could see raw emotion on his face, he couldn't even say my name he was so upset, I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't, I couldn't let my emotions get in my way.

"Okkkkkkk," I drew out, "fine, no talk about her and give you information, whatever." I smiled and I kept pushing it because Katherine wouldn't stop there and let them have the last word, "at least now you don't have to worry about mistaking me for her."

And that was when I saw both of them blurring towards me and I was quickly knocked out, unconscious, and I deserved it.

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**OOOOOOO Elena's got the Katherine act down pretty well I think, is she going to be able to keep it up? **

**Please review any suggestions or comments:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok so I thought about a few of the reviews thinking 6 chapters would be too short and I think I agree, I will be making it AT LEAST 8 chapters! Thank you for all your reviews and I love seeing what you think of the story and I take all your suggestions into consideration, please continue reviewing:)**

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I woke up groggily to two faces that I loved looking down on me, but their faces weren't exactly 'loving.'

"Wake up Katherine, we didn't hit you that hard." Stefan said unpatiently.

"We are leaving town today so unless your information is a big enough deal to convince us to stay, we'll be gone within a few hours. Everything here reminds us of her, we need to get away. So I suggest you tell us now." Damon said.

"Ok, ok, ok. Fine! Give me a second." I said with a little more urgency, I couldn't let them leave, I thought as I sat up quickly.

Damon went into the next room to get some bourbon followed by Stefan and I. Damon poured 3 drinks and I looked around to try and figure out who the third was for when I realized it was for me, I remembered, I like bourbon.

He walked over to me on the couch and sat down across from me beside Stefan and handed us the glasses.

"Let's hear it Katherine, it better be good." He stated as he sat back against the couch trying to act nonchalantly but I could tell he was nervous about what I had to say.

"Alright, look. You know how neither of you died when Klaus died and you were both from his bloodline?" I started and they nodded urging me on, "Well the thing is, not only did you two not die, but no one else from his bloodline died. NO ONE. No one except Tyler, right?"

"Right. Caroline said he was dead so we didn't understand why we weren't dying." Damon said.

"Exactly." I said.

"What's this have anything to do with us wanting to stay in this town?" Stefan said tiredly.

"Calm down, I'm getting to that. The thing is, is it turns out no one from his bloodline died. NO ONE." I said trying to emphasize this point and get it through their head.

"But, wait, Tyler died and he's from his bloodli-" Damon started.

I cut him off, "Nope. Tyler, Tyler's alive and well. Let's just say he's just not…himself."

"What are you trying to say, Katherine?" Stefan asked slowly and I blinked slowly still not used to being called Katherine but then pulling myself together.

"I'm saying, Tyler died that night, but his body still lives, just holding someone else inside." Realization hit both their faces at the same time but I still had to say the obvious at this point, "Klaus is alive inside Tyler's body."

They were speechless. Their jaws dropped and they glanced at each other trying to take it in.

"We can't leave, can we brother?" Damon asked while attempting his smirk, but the Elena inside me could see through it.

Stefan's voice dropped as he answered, "We can't let him kill all of-of- Elena's," He forced out her name with a choke, "friends, she would want us to stay. We have to protect them, we have to do it for her Damon." Damon nodded and I knew I had done it. I had convinced them to stay here, and they would at least for a little while longer until I find a way to convince them of who I really am.

"Well!" I exclaimed, "although I'd LOVEEE to stay here and talk about ways to 'honor' Elena or whatever the hell you're calling it, I'm going to bed." I wanted to get some alone time and I thought I had portrayed Katherine pretty well, but no, just kidding, I kind of forgot a few major points. First of all Katherine doesn't ever sit still and is always doing something, and second of all, she doesn't sleep.

Damon gave me a sideways glance, "Uh,-"

I interrupted him, "Hey, calm down now Damon, it was a joke. I mean when was the last time I actually slept?" I threw a laugh in there for extra effect, "and you would actually believe I would stay here and hang around you party poopers?"

I started cracking up trying to maybe pull off a drunk Katherine, although I regretted this later remembering I was perfectly fine only minutes ago and I hadn't had anything to drink, "I'm, uh, I'm just gonna go uhhh party," I stuttered and tried to absentmindedly sway drunk-like because I was so used to being Elena and having both of them run to catch me anytime I fell that I seemed to forget I was Katherine in their eyes.

So I went to fall to see if either of them would catch me: they didn't.

I opened my eyes slowly out of embarrassment to see them both staring down at me.

"Uh, so yeah, I'll be going." I muttered standing up quickly and ran to the door and was almost out until I saw another shape blur toward me and saw Damon standing in front of me blocking the door.

"I don't think so." He said demanding.

"Oh yeah?" The Katherine, but also Elena started kicking in because yet another thing I share with Katherine, we HATE being told what to do, "TRY AND STOP ME." I got up in his face threating him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," He said, "I was just going to come with you." He said with a smirk but it still wasn't real, he was trying to pull off his cool and confident attitude but I could even see the sadness in his eyes and I knew his weakness, well, Elena knew his weakness; his secret: HE FEELS.

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**What do you think? PLEASE REVIEW:) If I get 10 reviews, I'll update tonight!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Soooo chapter 5, please R/R! **

**And I have the next chapter already written, so I'm doing the same thing as last chapter, 10 reviews=update tonight:)**

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"Fine. Why do you want to come with me?" I asked kind of sad that I had to keep up the act even longer, I was hoping I could be alone for awhile.

"Make sure you make it back here, you seem a little drunk already, yet you haven't even had a drink yet," He said eying me, "Plus, I want you to make it back home; we might end up needing you to help us save Elena's friends and if you want to stay in this house, you'll help." He said smiling seeing he had won.

"Yeah, whatever." I said rolling my eyes.

We ran to the Grill vampire speed and I still hadn't gotten used to it so I swayed a little once we stopped at the front of the Grill but Damon just assumed it was from being drunk, well I guess he thought I was drunk on the air or something, he must think I'm so stupid.

Wait_, why do I even care what he thinks of me?_

I shook it off and we walked into the Grill and got a seat at the bar and he asked for two drinks, ordering him a bourbon and me a drink I hated, but Katherine's favorite. Apparently he still wasn't done with our conversation from earlier and said, "Plus, yanno I think you just might want to help out her friends."

I started laughing, "What makes you think I give a crap about what happens to her or her friends?"

His face dropped, "Well nothing else can happen to her, she's g-g-gone." He tried to gain composure and I was dying to apologize but Katherine just doesn't say she's sorry and I don't know how she does it, "But you might care about what happens to her friends."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Well she WAS your look alike so you couldn't have hated her that much and I don't know, maybe you wanted to honor her in some way." He said.

"What has she ever done to make me want to honor her?" I said trying to sound angry.

"What has she ever done to not make you want to honor her?" He fired back, "All she ever did was things for people, things for everyone else, she'd probably sacrifice herself for someone she didn't even know!" He breathed in and out trying to calm down, "I'm sorry it's just, she wouldn't hurt anyone for anything and although it made me so mad she was willing to risk her life for everyone else, it was one of the things I loved most about her: she wouldn't give up. She would stand up against the strongest of vampires, originals even, out of her love. The fact that we are all bigger and stronger than her never crossed her mind, she was so stubborn," His voice broke, "Maybe that's why I wasn't the one for her, maybe that's why it's always going to be Stefan. We are just too much alike, we're so stubborn and willing to risk our lives for the ones we love."

"Stop," I said holding back tears, "stop. Stop trying to change yourself for her, she loves you for who you are NOW, she wouldn't want you to change at all."

"How would you know?" he asked tears threatening to fall.

"I could tell, the way she looked at you, she, she loved you the way you were." I said trying not to let to much emotion or concern show.

"I don't kn-," He stopped suddenly whipping his head around to look me in the eyes, "Wait, did you say she loved me?"

"Uh, yeah, I did. She probably never told you that did she?" I asked sadly and he shook his head, "She did meet Stefan first so maybe that's why she felt like he was there for her when she needed him, when her parents died so she loves him for that but she can't love you too because then she'd be like me. And she probably felt bad for being like me didn't she?"

"When did you die and suddenly care?" He said with a weird look on his face as he watched me talk.

"Yeah, sorry but I have a hard time believing she loves me," He laughed sadly, "And yeah, I'm sorry it's just you know, you're not the best person for someone to be compared to, no offense." He said.

"None taken." I laughed knowing that short, deep conversation was over and on to a topic not involving Elena which was probably a good thing, because if he continued talking about me, I wouldn't have been able to keep my emotions inside and would've broken down, I wanted to help him sooo much. I wanted to comfort him, I wanted to make him feel okay, but I couldn't and it tore me apart watching him slowly fall apart because what I told him, what Katherine told him, was true: I love Damon.

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AHHHHH I thought it was time she owned up to her real feelings about him! Please review any thoughts or ideas you have, thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright CHAPTER 6! Got 9 reviews last chapter, sooooo close to 10 so I could update again the same day! **

**Same thing this chapter, 10 reviews, you can do it I believe in you haha:) R/R!**

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I continued thinking about this after we finished our drinks and headed back home and as I sped down the hallway into the guest room I was staying in, giving them some alone time to talk about what they would do now and as I laid on the bed I allowed my walls to break down as I closed the door and silently began crying.

In front of them, I would have to do what Damon and Stefan are best at and what I have the most trouble doing, turning it off. All the emotions. And at some point, they show through, like right now.

I cried for my humanity. I cried for the guy I bit and compelled. I cried for Damon and Stefan's pain I had put them through. I cried for the wedge I had pushed between them. I cried for my friends. I cried for my brother. And most of all, I cried for my stupid love for both brothers.

Why couldn't I choose? I knew that the choice I had made before I died wasn't real, it wasn't right. And I knew it. I always told Damon that I cared for him and that I would always love Stefan, but the truth was, was I loved Damon as well, I just really believed that if I just 'cared' for him it would make me less like Katherine. But it made me just as bad as her that I lied, and now that I am Katherine, I might as well admit to myself my feelings. Katherine's words came back to haunt me as I remembered what she told me long ago with a smile, _"It's okay to love them both, I did." _

I fell asleep with tears stained on my face.

I woke up with a start and sat up heavily breathing for a few minutes until I reminded myself again that I don't have to breathe. I thought about what woke me up and tried to remember the dream. It felt so real 'it was a dream, just a dream' I reminded myself as I got out of bed and walked down the hallway but I couldn't help but realize how real it felt.

I shook it off as I walked into the kitchen to fix something to eat and turned to find Damon giving me a weird look, "Um, Katherine, what are you doing?"

I thought about it for a second and quickly realized my mistake reminding myself to punch myself later for my stupidity.

_Vampires don't eat._

Stupid, I'm so stupid. I wasn't even hungry I was just so used to the routine to realize I wasn't hungry for food, I was hungry for blood.

"Oh I uhhh, I was trying out the food here, I'm just not feeling like going out to find some stupid human who SO HAPPENS to be one of Elena's friends because it seems everyone here is her friend, I'd probably get staked by you two if that happened so I decided to try and get my mind off things with human food, I don't know, don't look at me like that." I said trying to have the Katherine attitude again so I added something mean in there so he would stop being so suspicious, "What? It's not like you still need the food to feed Elena."

Then his face dropped and he walked away with anger and sadness and although I regretted it, I knew it was what I needed to do.

I walked around the boarding house bored as could be but still had to keep up the stupid slutty Katherine walk everywhere I went which was actually very tiring, I give her credit, especially in these heels. Then I saw Damon slip out the door and yelled after him, "Where you going?"

"Going to do something about that information you gave us, what'd you think we would do, stay here in Mystic Falls but do nothing? Have fun here Katherine, complain some more to Stefan, maybe he'll listen to you, or maybe at least put up with you, I give him credit, I can't even do that." He said walking out the door.

I sighed loudly and stomped out the door after him but he was already long gone. I would follow him, see what he was up to, I had nothing better to do anyways. I used my vamp speed I had begun to get used to but still enjoyed it as I came upon Caroline's house, guessing that would be the place he would go first considering it was her boyfriend that Klaus occupied, and of course, I was right.

I snuck up to her window quietly to find them having a quiet conversation that even I had to strain my vampire hearing to hear, but one word said mid-sentence stuck out to me:

_Elena._

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**Sooo what'd you think? Review please I love to hear anything you have to say!**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Okkk so I thought before this chapter I could address some of your questions you all had in your reviews and if you didn't have any questions or don't want to read this, just keep on scrolling down:)** _

**_Length of this story_: Yes, I completely agree that 6-8 chapters would be too short, and I'm aiming for about 10 for this story:) I know that some reviewers have addressed this and thought that the plot couldn't be completed being this short, but to me I think of the tv show, the 3 seasons as the plot, and this as an addition to the plot. Almost like this is just an event occurring in the bigger story: tv show. I don't know, tell me if that makes any sense and if not please say so!**

**_Damon referring to Elena in present tense, is it intentional_: Thank you for catching this! But yes it is intentional because I feel like Damon and all the pain and hurt he's been through and all he did for Elena and for it to all come crashing down and her suddenly be dead, I thought he would be numb from that and wouldn't be quite ready to accept the fact that she's gone, which is a good thing, considering she's not;)**

**_Does Damon suspect anything yet_: And actually, although Elena doesn't have Katherine down perfectly, he doesn't! Because it would almost be easier for everyone to believe Katherine was completely changed than Elena being back, like to Damon it's almost not a possibility, nothing to even be considered. If he let himself even think that, he would put himself through even more hurt.**

**_Daylight ring_: YESSS I'm soooo sorry. I know I should've done something with that but I felt as if I couldn't fit it anywhere in the story where I liked it. I mean, I was thinking maybe she could go to Bonnie about this whole thing in chapter one and get a ring, but then Bonnie wouldn't like the idea she's a vampire and she would be angry and plus Elena didn't want anyone to know about her plan, so I don't know, I couldn't find a good way for that to happen, so I hope everyone can forgive for that part!**

_**Alright, so if those didn't answer your questions right or I didn't address your question, please review and ask me about it! **_

_**And if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask! Please review:)**_

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"Why didn't you tell me about Klaus?" Damon demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Caroline replied.

"You know fully well what I'm talking about, Klaus taking his body!" Damon whispered and Caroline's face dropped.

"How did you know about that?" She asked shocked.

"Katherine." Damon replied nonchalantly.

"Damon, I only told E-E-lena," she stuttered out my name and I begun to realize just how much my 'death' had affected everyone and I was only seeing parts of it. Everyone was hiding most of their feelings, "she's the only one who knew. How did Katherine figure it out?"

"I don't know, she has her ways. But that's not what matters here Caroline! Klaus is back. That's the problem and all of your friends and your life is at stake!" Damon was now yelling, but Caroline's mind was elsewhere.

"I kissed him." She stuttered as a tear fell from her face.

"What?" Damon asked more quietly now with shock on his face.

"I kissed him. I didn't mean to, I swear Damon! I thought he was Tyler!" she broke down and started bawling, "I should've known better!"

"And how would you have known? He was in Tyler's body! It's not your fault, you didn't know." Damon said.

"But it is! I should've known, I should've recognized the signs." She cried.

"What signs?" Damon asked.

"He-he-he called me 'love', that's what Klaus always called me." She whispered.

"It's okay, Caroline, it's okay." Damon said quietly.

"No, no it's not! Because, because I didn't kiss him on accident or not know it was Klaus…the truth is, is I knew it was him all along, even before I kissed him, I kissed him because I wanted to!" She let her eyes drift to the floor as Damon stared at her shocked, "Damon, have you ever loved someone, loved someone you knew you shouldn't, you knew it was wrong but no matter what you did, you couldn't shake it?" She asked so heartbrokenly that Damon looked as if he felt like she needed some reassurance so he opened up to her.

"Yeah Caroline, yeah actually I have. I-I nevermind." He said quietly.

"No, no it's okay Damon, I know it's going to be about Elena, I know you love her and yes, I didn't approve of you and her and before I wouldn't want to hear about it but there was something there I hate to admit it, but there was and I know it might be hard to talk about it but it would really help me out, knowing I'm not alone in this. Please?" she pleaded.

"Okay," he said looking down at the floor to pull himself together for this, "I loved her, I love her, too much actually. From the moment I saw her I knew I would love her. And not as Katherine because the thing was, was from the beginning I never saw her as Katherine I saw her as Elena, as a stubborn, caring, loving, beautiful, human being and when I saw her with Stefan, well, it broke my heart, and you know me with a broken heart," he laughed, "That's a psycho vampire with no emotions and a night full of bourbon. And the thing is," He sighed with sadness in his voice, "Is I knew it would always be Stefan, I know she loved him and only him, but I always had this glimmer of hope that somehow, she would love me too. And the sad thing was, was I didn't even care if that made her like Katherine, I just wanted her love. I know it sounds pathetic but it's true."

He continued, "She never understood and she always thought I was lying when I told her that when I looked at her, I saw everything BUT Katherine, but it was always true. No matter what I said could make her see herself through my eyes."

I began to cry outside the window and fell silently to the ground still listening to him talk and I heard his voice become shaky and I could tell he was holding in the tears, which he has always been much better than me at, "She was so, so beautiful and she had a glow wherever she went that just made me smile being around her. I couldn't help it. Me and Stefan we promised that whoever she chose got to stay here and the other left town, so, before sh-she-uhh- before she died, the day she died I was not only gone to go to Klaus' body, but I was also leaving town afterward, she just never knew but she would've never seen me again."

I heard his voice shake again as he finished, "The thing is, is I will always wonder for the rest of my entire life, what if? What if I let her remember?" He choked out.

"Remember what?" Caroline whispered back.

But he was in his own world and he continued, "Would things be any different? She said on the phone that night that maybe it would be different if it was me that she met first. Would it be me instead of him? Would she love me? Would-," He broke off and came back to reality to answer her question and I peeked up to see him look her straight in the eye as he said, "Remember that we met first."

My eyes widened and I dropped to the ground and they both glanced out the window to see what had made the noise so I blurred into the woods and began running back to the boarding house. I ran into the house and into the guest room keeping my composure to keep Stefan convinced of me being Katherine, but as soon as the door slammed shut and my face hit the pillow I began crying, sobbing actually.

The dream, the dream I continued having over and over again, it wasn't a stupid dream, it was real, it wasn't a dream, it was a memory.

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**AHHH so what'd you think? And about Damon, I'm sorry if he seems to be OOC but we've never seen the side of him mourning Elena's death so I'm pretty sure he's allowed to have some emotion after what he's been through:)**

**Pleaseeeeeeeee R/R and any questions you have I will be sure to answer them in the beginning of next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok so I'm going to be gone this weekend at a tournament so I won't be updating for at least 2 or 3 days so I made this chapter extra long for you all:)**

**I can still see reviews I get to my phone so I'd love to hear what you think of it, please R/R!**

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It was real. He had compelled me to forget and now that I'm a vampire, I remember. I met Damon first, I remember every second of it, I remember feeling as if there was a hole in my memory all that time but I never thought anything of it.

He met me first. WE MET FIRST. And he compelled me to forget. He told me what I wanted, because I want what everyone wants, and he compelled me to forget.

Doesn't he understand what this would've meant to me? Doesn't he understand how much this changes things? I considered what it actually did change and if I was willing to let it change, and fell asleep trying to sort out my feelings.

I woke up the next morning conflicted as ever. I didn't know what I felt, but I walked out of the room and tried to cover my doubtful face with confidence and marched into the kitchen to find Damon and Stefan sitting at the table, and the weirdest thing happened, I took one look at Damon's face and as I stared into his eyes and he stared back at me, I had another one of my realistic feeling dreams, but while wide awake.

"_I just have to say something," Damon said._

"_Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" I asked._

"_Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've said in my life," He said quietly._

"_Damon don't go there," I warned him._

"_I just have to say it once, you need to hear it," He whispered, "I love you Elena, and it is because I love you I can't be selfish with you. I want you to know this; I don't deserve you but my brother does."_

I gasped as I came back to reality to face two vampires with worried looks on their faces. But that wasn't what concerned me. What concerned me was what I felt when I looked at them. I KNEW what I felt. I knew who I loved. And the thing was, was although I wasn't lying when I told Damon that I loved Stefan and I didn't know it at the time, but I was lying when I said it would always be Stefan, because what I felt right now stated otherwise.

I never felt more clear about it. Yes, I loved Stefan but it was more like past tense, I loved him like a first love, but when I looked at Damon I realize I love him, now. And it wasn't just the memories that made me realize this, it was thinking back on my life before I died, thinking about our story. It was time, we needed time. And I'm glad I believed all this time that I met Stefan first because I fell for him out of need for someone in my life, out of first sight love. But mine and Damon's love, we got a plot, we got a story, we got each other through our ups and downs, best and worst, life and death experiences, and we got the friendship and yes, we got the fighting, but then we got to fall in love.

I looked back on our plot, our story, and everything it took to get here, to get where we are now. Every mistake, every forgiveness, every tear, every heartbreak, every disappointment, every moment to make me realize, he's the one for me. Everything, everything from the beginning until now, was leading up to this moment, this moment where I realized who I truly loved, and he had stuck around long enough to see it.

He changed me, everything he said challenged my beliefs, my thoughts, my fears, but that wasn't all.

I changed him. Everything about him changed from then to now. I began to tear up as I reflected on all the progress we had made. It went:

_**From**_

_"I like you and your laugh."_

_**To**_

_"I love you."_

_**From**_

_"She's been cooped up in your room all day, she's not Anne Frank."_

_**To**_

_"We didn't create a safehouse for you to leave it!"_

_**From**_

_"If anyone's going to kill you, it will be me."_

_**To**_

_"Going after Elena? Bad move."_

_**From**_

_"I can't protect you Elena."_

_**To**_

_"No one will hurt you Elena."_

_**From**_

_"I mean this sincerely, I hope Elena dies."_

_**To**_

_"I can't lose you."_

_**From**_

_"No, I'm not upset, upset is an emotion specific to those who care."_

_**To**_

_"I feel Elena, ok? I feel!"_

_**From**_

_"You're afraid of me."_

_**To**_

_"You trust me."_

_**And from**_

_"Ive been in love, its painful pointless and overrated."_

_**To**_

_"I'm mad at you because I love you!"_

And all along he was right, he was exactly right, when he told me long ago what I wanted I just didn't know it then, he was intelligent beyond his years, yes all 100 something years, and I thought he was just a stranger that claimed to know everything, but he was right.

I want a love that consumes me, and when I glanced at his face just now, he did just that.

I knew my choice. I knew who I loved now, presently, and it wasn't both, and I wasn't Katherine. I was so used to choosing Stefan and feeling regret and doubt afterward but now, now I realized that I had finally made the right choice, I felt nothing but confidence and reassurance. Maybe becoming a vampire was what it took to realize who I truly loved.

Maybe death wasn't the end, maybe it was a new beginning, it was kind of a way of giving me a second chance, like life was telling me _that's not what you wanted, you want someone who challenges you, who makes you a better person, who changes you._

_And I want Damon._

But then I was back to reality, back to realizing who I was, I was Katherine and Damon could be leaving town soon, as soon as he gives up on saving my friends because I remember when he told me.

'_I will ALWAYS choose you'_

I knew who I had chosen and I knew who I really was, but now I had to somehow convince Damon of both.

They stood there staring at me as I came out of my deep thoughts and I quickly left the room and I heard someone walk after me. Please don't be Damon, please don-

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Damon interrupted. Dang it. I can't even look him straight in the eye without having to fight the urge to run into his arms and kiss him.

"Oh, me, uh nothing. What do you want Damon?" I tried to make it sound bitter but I just sounded pathetic, so I had to do something that compromised what I wanted and what Katherine would want; kiss Damon. But it couldn't be a shy kiss, it had to be dramatic and I had to be seductive but I couldn't hold it in any longer. I blurred over to him and shoved him against the wall running my hands up and down his chest and went to kiss him but he shoved me off of him and began to yell.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He screamed but I interrupted him stupidly because I couldn't hold it in any longer, "No you don't understand, I'm Elena!" But as soon as it left my mouth I knew it was a mistake. I was so stupid.

"Don't you dare EVER try and do that again and NEVER claim to be Elena again! You are NOTHING like her. You understand me? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. Or you know what? Even better. Stay here. Never leave so you can never come find me, I'm leaving okay, I'm done with this town, it means nothing to me without Elena in it so bye Katherine, don't try to follow me." He blurred out of the room and I sat down slowly beginning to cry, I knew it would be like this, I knew he would end up leaving, and I knew I couldn't just come right out claiming to be Elena, I just couldn't hold it back. Nothing I do will convince him. Unless there is something that just me and him shared together to convince him it's me, something I would only know about as a vampire to explain to him the whole vampire situation...

_The memories._

_The memories could convince him it's me._

_It all goes back to the beginning, we had to start somewhere to get us where we are now, so I gotta remind him how we started._

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_**AHHHH what'd you think? I'll answer any questions you have at the beginning of the next chapter.**_

**_I plan on writing 2 more chapters and please review anything you want to say, good or bad!:)_**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back:) Sorry it took so long to upload again! **

**So this is chapter 9, and I'm thinking only 1 more chapter till the end:( **

**BUT I'm actually considering continuing it and making it into a longer story and continuing from chapter 10, but I'll need your help and reviews, so please think about it and after next chapter, please review any ideas or suggestions if you think I should continue the story, because I really don't want it to end in 1 more chapter:)**

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"Damon!" I screamed running through the house checking all the rooms as I went, "Damon!" I screamed looking outside to see if he was leaving then running upstairs to his room "DA-" I was cut off when I ran straight into him.

"What Katherine?" he asked impatiently trying to get past me with him and his huge suitcase, "I'm ready to go, any last words?" he smirked and started to walk past me but I blurred over to him and threw him against the wall.

"Yes! You can't leave Damon, you can't leave now. Not now that I know what I feel, now that I know what I want!" I screamed in his face and he just gave me a smirk but it had an edge to it, it wasn't his classic smirk, it was fake, it wasn't real, I could tell what he was doing, he was turning it off, and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"I'm Elena, Damon! I swear!" I screamed.

"Cut it out with that crap!" he screamed back at me now pissed off, "okay? You're not Elena and I'm not stupid! And you know what you want? Oh wow, congratulations, but I'm pretty sure now that you 'know what you want' it's not going to change a thing. Because, you know, I know what I want too! And I've wanted these things for awhile now and me wanting it hasn't changed anything!"

"I want me and Stefan to get along, to be brothers! I want to be a good person! I want to stop having to turn it off! And most of all, I want Elena to come back! But we all know what we want doesn't exactly happen." A tear began to fall down his cheek and I fought the urge to wipe it away because I had to finish and I he wasn't going to walk away.

"Well you know what Damon? You've already gotten one of those things. And I hope I get what I want too," I said with a smile but that didn't cut it.

"Oh yeah? Lemme guess, the part about Elena coming back? Katherine I am DONE listening to that crap! You're just trying to make it hurt even worse and I'm done with it! YOU ARE NOT ELENA. Goodbye Katherine." He walked past me and opened the door. Maybe I was just naturally more confident because I was a vampire or maybe acting like Katherine had a little bit of an effect on me, but I wasn't about to let him have the last word so I blurred over to him and began walking slowly out the door while he was still standing in the doorway.

"You never asked me what I wanted." I said nonchalantly, because it hit me, I finally realized what I had to say, it was my turn and I was going to have fun with it.

He chuckled then I said, "You think you've won this war don't you? You think I'm leaving, that I'm giving up?" I asked him smiling towards him.

"I won this a long time ago. It was never even a consideration, a possibility, that you were Elena. Didn't you even think about one of the small facts, she's not a vampire? And maybe you forgot, um, I don't know, EVERYTHING else about her?" he laughed his detached laugh almost completely having turned off all emotions, ready to leave town and move on, boy was he in for a big surprise, I could promise him, he wasn't going anywhere.

"So you're convinced you've won this conversation, and you wouldn't care if I left right now?" I asked.

"Wouldn't care one bit." He laughed, "actually would be pretty happy if I didn't have to deal with you another second."

"Alright, let's make a bet," I said with a sly smile, "I get 12 words, that's it, just 12 more words. If I walk away and you don't chase after me, I leave you alone for the rest of your sad life. If you chase after me, you owe me 5 bucks." I began laughing because it was the best I could come up with, $5, I should've made it something worse than that but I'm pretty sure just his reaction will be priceless.

"Sounds like a good deal to me. I keep my 5 bucks, you leave me alone for, well, forever!" he smiled.

"You really want to know what I want?" I asked with a grin.

"Yep, really." He laughed enjoying this.

As I said my 12 words my face broke out into a full smile, and his face into full shock and admiration. But the thing is, I only saw his face during the first 7 words, and then I had begun to turn around and walk into the words making my words even quieter as I walked, I could feel him straining to hear, as if making sure what he was hearing was correct and he wasn't dreaming as I said the 12 words:

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**AHHHH sorry, I had to do it, I enjoy ending chapters with cliffhangers if you haven't noticed:) **

**Please be thinking about ways for me to continue this story after next chapter if you'd like me to!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Oh my gosh guys, this is it, THE LAST CHAPTER, I hope you like it!**

**I appreciate all reviewers! Especially PazOrtiz, mht224, ailuj14, your reviews made me smile and motivated me to continue writing, thank you:)**

**And I really don't want this to be over yet, so I'm going to need you all, I want to attempt to continue this story! If you think it can be done or should be, or if you think it should end here, please tell me what you think! **

**If I get enough ideas from you all and I feel I can continue this, I would like to tell you in an authors note, and I know people hate when authors use an update just for a note, but if this is okay with you for me to do, please tell me?**

**THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT:)**

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As I said the 12 words:

"I want a love that consumes me. I want passion and adventure."

I continued to walk away but then began to hesitate and actually reconsider this whole thing when nothing happened and I just continued walking. No one behind me, no one chasing after me.

What if, what if he didn't love me anymore?

What if he didn't feel the same way?

What if he completely turned himself off to his emotions?

What if-

Then I felt a quick breeze from behind me and I was suddenly being shoved up against a tree with his face inches from mine, he leaned down to my ear and whispered the exact 5 words I wanted to hear:

"And even a little danger."

I nodded and with that he gave me another shove against the tree and suddenly his mouth was on top of mine and my confidence in my choice was never stronger. As he kissed me, I felt his lips turn into a smile as he slipped something into my pocket:

A five dollar bill.

I grinned and, taking my turn, used my new strength as a vampire to turn us around and throw him up against the tree, and I enjoyed seeing the surprise on his face as he was still processing the fact I was and 2.a vampire, but I had to set one thing straight before he kissed me again.

"Please don't leave, Damon." I managed to say while still out of breath from our kiss, trying to remind myself, I don't have to breathe. His face turned to shock and then into a full out grin.

Damon grinned.

Damon Salvatore actually grinned.

"How could I ever leave you? Elena, I told you once and I'll tell you as many times as you want to hear it; I will NEVER leave you. As long as you're still alive I will ALWAYS CHOOSE YOU." He said with so much emotion on his face I couldn't help but believe him with all my heart.

"So," I said casually, "you love me, huh?" Reminding him of the memory.

He smirked, his classic smirk, Damon was back, "Yeah, I guess I kinda do."

"Hm. Well I guess I 'kinda' love you too Damon Salvatore." His face showed pure joy, it was just pure happiness, I had no other way to describe it other than pure, love.

And then I put my hands on both sides of his face and looked him in the eye, because I said it jokingly, but I was serious.

My love for him was real, THIS was real, "I love you." I said with raw emotion in my voice and I saw his eyes glisten with tears threatening to fall, this was what he had been waiting for all along.

"You once told me it was right, just not right now, but it's been right all along I just couldn't see it. I guess it takes turning into a vampire to realize my true feelings, and Damon, I'm sorry it took me so long." I said apologetically but he reached for my face and lifted up my chin to look him in the eyes.

"I will wait on you for eternity Elena, I would wait on you forever, and now that's exactly how long we have together: forever."

He pulled my face to his and began to kiss me passionately and it pained me to have to pull away, but me being me again, me being Elena, I had to get the last word.

That was one thing that hadn't changed in transition, and wouldn't change anytime soon.

Elena, the stubborn human, now Elena, the stubborn vampire.

I smiled and looked up at him.

"Damon, you know how I told you a long time ago that you had LOST me forever? Well, now," I said with a smile, "you HAVE me forever."

He grinned and pulled me towards him and began to kiss me again. I never felt this way when I kissed Stefan, I never felt like this. I wasn't thinking of anything else in the world, I couldn't, because it consumed me, HE consumed me.

_I once had a stranger tell me what I wanted in life. _

_Most strangers pretend to have all the answers, _

_but my stranger, _

_my stranger wasn't pretending._

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**AHHHHHHHHH oh my gosh, it's over! The end...or is it? **

**lol I really would like to make this story longer, so please review opinions on this chapter, ****ideas/ suggestions for next, and anything else you'd like to tell/ask me!**

**THANK YOU FOR READING, I LOVE YOU ALL**


	11. Chapter 11

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey guys! Ok so I really hate updating a story for an author's note but I had to.

So I completely forgot about this story and then once I got back to it and read back through it I decided it's best left as it is. I couldn't really think of any good way to continue it

BUT I am currently working on other delena stories so check them out if you'd like, I'd love to hear your opinion and if you have any ideas for my current stories/any new stories you'd like me to write, just leave me a review!

Thanks for reading this story and check out my other ones if you'd like3

Here's some links below to some of my other delena stories!

s/7738524/1/Elena-s-Confession

s/8754755/1/Elena-s-Love

s/8366768/1/It-makes-me-strong

Or if the links don't work just the names are:

Elena's Confession

Elena's Love

It Makes Me Strong


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